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Martyr A, Nelis SM, Morris RG, Marková IS, Roth I, Woods RT, Clare L. Exploring longitudinal changes in implicit awareness of dementia: An investigation of the emotional Stroop effect in healthy ageing and mild dementia. J Neuropsychol 2024; 18:226-238. [PMID: 37658549 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023]
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate responses to dementia-relevant words in healthy older people and to investigate changes in response over 20-months in people with early-stage dementia. An emotional Stroop task, using colour-naming dementia-relevant words, was used as an indicator of implicit awareness of dementia. Overall, 24 people with dementia and 24 healthy older people completed an emotional Stroop task (T1). People with dementia completed the same task again after 12 (T2) and 20 (T3) months. For people with dementia emotional Stroop performance was contrasted with ratings of explicit awareness based on a detailed interview at T1 and at T2. For healthy older people and people with dementia response times to dementia-relevant words were significantly longer than those for neutral words. The effect was absent for people with dementia at T3. This decline in the emotional Stroop effect was not associated with cognitive decline as measured by the MMSE. Ratings of explicit awareness showed no significant change over time. There was no association between explicit awareness and implicit awareness. Implicit awareness of the condition is evident in early-stage dementia and can be elicited even where there is reduced explicit awareness. The emotional Stroop effect for dementia-relevant words in people with dementia appears to decline over time, independently of changes in MMSE score, suggesting that implicit awareness fades as time progresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Martyr
- Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Sharon M Nelis
- Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
| | - Robin G Morris
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ivana S Marková
- Hull York Medical School, Allam Medical Building University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Ilona Roth
- School of Life, Health and Chemical Sciences, STEM Faculty, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Robert T Woods
- Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) Wales, School of Medical & Health Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Linda Clare
- Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK
- NIHR Applied Research Collaboration South-West Peninsula, Exeter, UK
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Tondelli M, Benuzzi F, Ballotta D, Molinari MA, Chiari A, Zamboni G. Eliciting Implicit Awareness in Alzheimer’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Task-Based Functional MRI Study. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:816648. [PMID: 35493936 PMCID: PMC9042287 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.816648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent models of anosognosia in dementia have suggested the existence of an implicit component of self-awareness about one’s cognitive impairment that may remain preserved and continue to regulate behavioral, affective, and cognitive responses even in people who do not show an explicit awareness of their difficulties. Behavioral studies have used different strategies to demonstrate implicit awareness in patients with anosognosia, but no neuroimaging studies have yet investigated its neural bases. Methods Patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the execution of a color-naming task in which they were presented with neutral, negative, and dementia-related words (Dementia-Related Emotional Stroop). Results Twenty-one patients were recruited: 12 were classified as aware and 9 as unaware according to anosognosia scales (based on clinical judgment and patient-caregiver discrepancy). Behavioral results showed that aware patients took the longest time to process dementia-related words, although differences between word types were not significant, limiting interpretation of behavioral results. Imaging results showed that patients with preserved explicit awareness had a small positive differential activation of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) for the dementia-related words condition compared to the negative words, suggesting attribution of emotional valence to both conditions. PCC differential activation was instead negative in unaware patients, i.e., lower for dementia-related words relative to negative-words. In addition, the more negative the differential activation, the lower was the Stroop effect measuring implicit awareness. Conclusion Posterior cingulate cortex preserved response to dementia-related stimuli may be a marker of preserved implicit self-awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Tondelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Metaboliche e Neuroscienze, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- U.O. Neurologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
- Dipartimento di Cure Primarie, Azienda Unitá Sanitaria Locale (AUSL) Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Francesca Benuzzi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Metaboliche e Neuroscienze, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Daniela Ballotta
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Metaboliche e Neuroscienze, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | | | - Annalisa Chiari
- U.O. Neurologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
| | - Giovanna Zamboni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Metaboliche e Neuroscienze, Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
- U.O. Neurologia, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria di Modena, Modena, Italy
- *Correspondence: Giovanna Zamboni,
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Alexander CM, Martyr A, Clare L. Changes in awareness of condition in people with mild-to-moderate dementia: Longitudinal findings from the IDEAL cohort. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2022; 37:10.1002/gps.5702. [PMID: 35294792 PMCID: PMC9314100 DOI: 10.1002/gps.5702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Awareness of difficulties shown by people with dementia is known to vary, but few studies have explored changes in awareness over time. Investigating this could further the understanding of surrounding concepts and reasons for impaired awareness. Recognising emerging or diminishing awareness could facilitate discussions about diagnosis and appropriate post-diagnostic support. METHODS Using longitudinal data from the Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life (IDEAL) cohort, awareness in community-dwelling people with mild-to-moderate dementia was assessed at three timepoints over 2 years. A validated checklist was used to evaluate awareness of difficulties associated with dementia. We examined changes in awareness for people with low awareness at baseline, and used case-matching to describe differences in characteristics between people who gained awareness, and those who continued with low awareness. RESULTS At baseline, 83 people from a sample of 917 showed low awareness. The majority of those remaining in the study at later timepoints had gained awareness, some as late as four or more years after diagnosis. Case-matched comparisons revealed few distinguishing characteristics: cases with stable low awareness had similar or better cognitive and functional ability than those who gained and retained awareness at 12 and 24 months, but may have had more co-morbidities. CONCLUSIONS Self-reported awareness of difficulties can change and may increase over time in people with mild-to-moderate dementia. There may be individual reasons for ongoing low awareness, not explained by cognitive or functional ability. This challenges the view that a single record of low awareness represents a fixed disease-related symptom, and highlights the complex, individual and dynamic nature of awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M. Alexander
- REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, South Cloisters, St Luke's CampusExeterUK
| | - Anthony Martyr
- REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, South Cloisters, St Luke's CampusExeterUK
| | - Linda Clare
- REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, South Cloisters, St Luke's CampusExeterUK
- National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration South‐West PeninsulaExeterUK
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Alexander CM, Martyr A, Gamble LD, Savage SA, Quinn C, Morris RG, Collins R, Clare L. Does awareness of condition help people with mild-to-moderate dementia to live well? Findings from the IDEAL programme. BMC Geriatr 2021; 21:511. [PMID: 34563135 PMCID: PMC8467163 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-021-02468-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background People living with dementia vary in awareness of their abilities. We explored awareness of the condition and diagnosis in people with mild-to-moderate dementia, and how this relates to quality of life, well-being, life satisfaction, and caregiver stress. Methods This study was a cross-sectional exploratory analysis of data from the IDEAL cohort, which recruited people with dementia living at home and available caregivers from 29 research sites in Great Britain. Our study included 917 people with mild-to-moderate dementia and 755 carers. Low and high awareness groups were derived from self-reported responses to a dementia representation measure. Logistic regression was used to explore predictors of awareness of condition and diagnosis using demographic, cognitive, functional and psychological measures, and the relationship with quality of life, well-being and life satisfaction (‘living well’), and caregiver stress. Results There were 83 people with low awareness of their condition. The remaining 834 people showed some awareness and 103 of these had high awareness of their condition and diagnosis. Psychosocial factors were stronger predictors of awareness than cognitive and functional ability. Those with higher awareness reported lower mood, and lower scores on indices of living well as well as lower optimism, self-efficacy and self-esteem. Low awareness was more likely in those aged 80y and above, and living in more socially deprived areas. No relationship was seen between caregiver stress and awareness. Conclusions Awareness of the condition and diagnosis varies in people with mild-to-moderate dementia and is relevant to the capability to live well. Awareness should be considered in person-centered clinical care. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-021-02468-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M Alexander
- REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, South Cloisters, St Luke's Campus, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK.
| | - Anthony Martyr
- REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, South Cloisters, St Luke's Campus, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Laura D Gamble
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Sharon A Savage
- School of Psychology, The University of Newcastle, Australia, Newcastle, Australia
| | - Catherine Quinn
- Centre for Applied Dementia Studies, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK
| | - Robin G Morris
- Department of Psychology, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Rachel Collins
- REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, South Cloisters, St Luke's Campus, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK
| | - Linda Clare
- REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, South Cloisters, St Luke's Campus, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK.,National Institute for Health Research Applied Research Collaboration South-West Peninsula, Exeter, UK
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Alexander CM, Martyr A, Savage SA, Morris RG, Clare L. Measuring Awareness in People With Dementia: Results of a Systematic Scoping Review. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2021; 34:335-348. [PMID: 32400259 PMCID: PMC8326902 DOI: 10.1177/0891988720924717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Awareness of the diagnosis or related changes in functioning varies in people with dementia (PwD), with implications for the well-being of PwD and their carers. Measuring awareness in a clinical setting could facilitate tailored support and optimize involvement in personal health and care decisions. This scoping review aimed to identify validated methods of assessing awareness in dementia and appraise their clinical utility. METHOD A systematic search was conducted of English-language publications that measured awareness in PwD, in 6 electronic databases. Search terms included dement*, Alzheimer*, Pick disease, and awareness, unawareness, anosognosia, insight, denial, metacognit*, or discrepanc*. RESULTS We screened 30,634 articles, finding 345 articles that met our inclusion criteria. We identified 76 measures, most commonly using a discrepancy questionnaire comparing evaluations of function by PwD and an informant. There were 30 awareness measures developed and validated for use in dementia populations but few designed for general clinical use. CONCLUSIONS Although we found a range of clinical indications for measuring awareness, there were few studies investigating clinical applications and few tools designed for clinical purposes. Further investigation and development of a person-centered tool could facilitate health and care choices in mild-to-moderate dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M. Alexander
- University of Exeter Medical School, South Cloisters, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, United Kingdom,Catherine M. Alexander, University of Exeter Medical School, South Cloisters, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter EX1 2LU, United Kingdom.
| | - Anthony Martyr
- University of Exeter Medical School, South Cloisters, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Sharon A. Savage
- Psychology Department, University of Exeter, Washington Singer Laboratories, Streatham Campus, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Robin G. Morris
- King's College Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Linda Clare
- University of Exeter Medical School, South Cloisters, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, United Kingdom
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Bomilcar I, Bertrand E, Morris RG, Mograbi DC. The Seven Selves of Dementia. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:646050. [PMID: 34054604 PMCID: PMC8160244 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.646050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The self is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, encompassing a variety of cognitive processes and psychosocial influences. Considering this, there is a multiplicity of "selves," the current review suggesting that seven fundamental self-processes can be identified that further our understanding of the experience of dementia. These include (1) an embodied self, manifest as corporeal awareness; (2) an agentic self, related to being an agent and influencing life circumstances; (3) an implicit self, linked to non-conscious self-processing; (4) a critical self, which defines the core of self-identity; (5) a surrogate self, based on third-person perspective information; (6) an extended self, including external objects or existences that are incorporated into the self; and, finally, (7) an emergent self, a property of the self-processes that give rise to the sense of a unified self. These are discussed in relation to self-awareness and their use in making sense of the experience of dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Bomilcar
- Institute of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Elodie Bertrand
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau et Cognition (LMC2, URP 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Robin G. Morris
- Department of Psychology, King's College Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel C. Mograbi
- Department of Psychology, King's College Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Stanzani Maserati M, Mitolo M, Medici F, D'Onofrio R, Oppi F, Poda R, De Matteis M, Tonon C, Lodi R, Liguori R, Capellari S. Color Choice Preference in Cognitively Impaired Patients: A Look Inside Alzheimer's Disease Through the Use of Lüscher Color Diagnostic. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1951. [PMID: 31507498 PMCID: PMC6718708 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To study the emotional state of cognitively impaired patients through the color choice preference in a group of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and compare it with a group of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients and a matched control group. Methods A total of 71 AD, 50 MCI and 68 controls were consecutively evaluated. All patients and controls underwent the Mini Mental State Evaluation (MMSE) and the Lüscher color test. Results Cognitively impaired patients mainly chose auxiliary colors, in particular violet and brown, and rejected black and gray. AD patients predominantly chose forms corresponding to auxiliary colors. The auxiliary color choice negatively correlated with the MMSE score. MCI patients and controls had a higher presence of anxiety on gray table and controls had higher frustration and ambivalence, i.e., psychic complexity, on basic color tables.Data globally suggest that AD patients live with a feeling of personal change due to instability and emotional insecurity, experiencing physical discomfort and a bodily need of being welcomed in a favorable environment. They aspire to a sensitive understanding by someone with whom they can be identified. Differently, MCI patients have less of these needs; however, they feel more anxious. Conclusion The comprehension of the inner emotional state of cognitively impaired patients allows us to better communicate with them and effectively approach their behavioral disorders. Like other projective techniques, such as the tree-drawing test and the human figure-drawing test, Lüscher color test is proposed as a simple and unconventional approach to understand the emotional life of AD patients. The awareness of clinicians about the existential fragility and insecurity of such type of patients allows us not only to better manage their behavioral disturbances but also to improve their quality of life and that of their caregivers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Micaela Mitolo
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e NeuroMotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Federica Medici
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e NeuroMotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Renato D'Onofrio
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e NeuroMotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Federico Oppi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberto Poda
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Caterina Tonon
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e NeuroMotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Raffaele Lodi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e NeuroMotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Rocco Liguori
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e NeuroMotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Sabina Capellari
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e NeuroMotorie, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Alexander CM, Martyr A, Savage SA, Clare L. Measuring awareness in people with dementia: protocol for a scoping review. Syst Rev 2019; 8:160. [PMID: 31272501 PMCID: PMC6610918 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-019-1078-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with dementia (PwD) vary in the degree of awareness they show about their situation, both generally concerning the diagnosis and more specifically around certain aspects or objects of awareness such as awareness of memory impairment, altered daily activities or social functioning. The extent of awareness or lack of awareness has consequences for well-being of PwD and carers, impacting on rates of hospital admission, institutionalization, mood, adjustment to diagnosis, outcomes from intervention and carer burden. An accurate estimation of a person's awareness could therefore be useful in a clinical setting to support PwD and their carers in making appropriate choices for health and care decisions, and could facilitate safe management by health care professionals, e.g. in an acute care setting. There is a range of different approaches to measuring awareness reported in the dementia research literature, with varying estimates of the frequency of lack of awareness, reflecting different methodologies and populations. The majority of the methods have been developed for research purposes and may not be suitable for clinical use. There are no recent scoping or systematic reviews of the available methods. METHOD We will conduct a scoping review of published studies that have assessed awareness in people with dementia of all types, and all degrees of severity. The systematic search will include the electronic databases PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science and Cochrane Library, using search terms for dementia ("dement*" or "Alzheimer*" or "Pick's disease") and "awareness", "unawareness", "anosognosia", "insight", "denial", "metacognit*" or "discrepanc*" identified from pilot searches. Findings will be mapped and described according to the method used, the setting and diagnosis and the object of awareness studied if specified. Validated measures will be identified. DISCUSSION This scoping review will provide an overview of the methods used to measure awareness in people with dementia, allowing comparison of the methods along with identification of validated measures. The methods or components will be appraised for potential clinical use, and gaps in research will be highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine M. Alexander
- REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, South Cloisters, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, EX1 2LU UK
| | - Anthony Martyr
- REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, School of Psychology, University of Exeter Medical School and College of Life and Environmental Sciences, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, EX1 2LU UK
| | - Sharon A. Savage
- REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, School of Psychology, University of Exeter Medical School and College of Life and Environmental Sciences, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, EX1 2LU UK
- Psychology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Washington Singer Laboratories, Streatham Campus, Exeter, EX4 4QG UK
| | - Linda Clare
- REACH: The Centre for Research in Ageing and Cognitive Health, School of Psychology, University of Exeter Medical School and College of Life and Environmental Sciences, St Luke’s Campus, Exeter, EX1 2LU UK
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Cheston R, Dodd E, Hart I, Christopher G. The recall of dementia-related and neutral words by people with dementia: The ironic process of thought suppression. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2019; 34:756-764. [PMID: 30734372 PMCID: PMC6522382 DOI: 10.1002/gps.5083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Thought suppression may not work effectively when people have a cognitive impairment. This study tests whether participants with dementia showed lessened or enhanced recall and recognition of dementia-related words compared with a control population. METHODS Fifty participants living with dementia with mild levels of cognitive impairment and a control group of 52 participants without a diagnosis of dementia took part. A list of 12 words, composed of six dementia-related and six neutral words matched for frequency and length, was read out on four occasions, with the word order being varied for each presentation. Recognition was also assessed. RESULTS There was an interaction between word-type and participant group at both recall and recognition. While control participants recalled more neutral than dementia-related words, there was no difference for dementia participants. However, dementia participants recognised a significantly higher proportion of the dementia-related words, while there was no difference in word-type recognition for control participants. CONCLUSIONS This study adapts a social psychological paradigm to explore whether an important psychological mechanism for reducing distress can be affected by cognitive impairment. Our findings suggest that for people living with dementia, thought suppression may be either ineffective in reducing conscious awareness of distal threats or operate in an ironic fashion. While threatening proximal material may be repressed from awareness, distal threats may return into implicit awareness. This casts new light on research and has clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Cheston
- University of the West of England, Bristol, UK,Correspondence to: Richard Cheston, Department of Health and Social Sciences, University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, Coldharbour Lane, Bristol, BS16 1QY, England, UK;
| | - Emily Dodd
- University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
| | - India Hart
- RICE Memory Clinic, Royal United Hospital, Bath
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Cheston R, Dodd E, Christopher G, Jones C, Wildschut T, Sedikides C. Selective forgetting of self-threatening statements: Mnemic neglect for dementia information in people with mild dementia. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2018; 33:1065-1073. [PMID: 29797355 PMCID: PMC6042640 DOI: 10.1002/gps.4894] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We tested whether people with dementia manifest selective forgetting for self-threatening information, the mnemic neglect effect (MNE). This selective forgetting is observed among healthy adults in the recall, but not the recognition, of self-threatening feedback. METHODS Sixty-four statements about dementia were rated for their level of negativity by 280 staff and students at University of the West of England. The 12 statements rated as most negative and the 12 statements rated as least negative were then read to 62 people with dementia. Participants were randomized to 1 of 2 conditions with the statements referring either to self or to another person. High-negativity and self-referent statements had strong threat potential. Participants recalled the statements and then completed a recognition task, which consisted of the 24 previously read statements and 24 new statements. RESULTS Participants manifested the MNE: They recalled fewer high-negativity (compared with low-negativity) statements, but only when these referred to the self rather than another person. This pattern occurred independently of levels of depression or anxiety. Participants also made more self-protective intrusion errors when the statements referred to the self than another person. Participants did not differ in their recognition of statements. CONCLUSION The MNE occurs among people with dementia. The selective forgetting of highly negative, self-referent statements serves to protect the self against the threat that dementia represents. Given the similarities between the MNE and the clinical phenomenon of repression, the findings may mark psychological processes that are implicated in the acceptance (or lack thereof) of a dementia diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Emily Dodd
- University of the West of EnglandBristolUK
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12
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Belfort T, Simões P, de Sousa MFB, Santos RL, Barbeito I, Torres B, Dourado MCN. The Relationship Between Social Cognition and Awareness in Alzheimer Disease. J Geriatr Psychiatry Neurol 2018; 31:27-33. [PMID: 29187026 DOI: 10.1177/0891988717743587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
A large body of evidence highlights the social cognitive impairment in neurodegenerative diseases such Alzheimer disease (AD). This study investigated the relationship among social and emotional functioning (SEF), awareness of disease, and other clinical aspects in people with AD (PwAD). A consecutive series of 50 people with mild to moderate AD and their 50 family caregivers were assessed. There was a significant difference between self-rated SEF and informant-rated SEF. In 56% of PwAD, self-rated SEF is lower than informant-rated SEF. People with AD mostly presented with mildly impaired awareness of the disease (56%), 20% had moderately impaired awareness of the disease, and 6% were unaware of the disease. The multivariate linear regression showed that informant-rated SEF was related to the social functioning, and relationships, domains of awareness of disease, and the PwAD informant-rated quality of life. The relationship between SEF and awareness of social functioning and relationship domain shows that they are comprised of judgments related to perceptions about oneself, values, and beliefs qualitatively different from awareness of memory or functionality, which can be directly observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Belfort
- 1 Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Pedro Simões
- 2 Department of Sociology and Political Science, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Campus Universitário Reitor João David Ferreira Lima, Trindade, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Maria Fernanda Barroso de Sousa
- 1 Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Raquel Luiza Santos
- 1 Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Isabel Barbeito
- 1 Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Bianca Torres
- 1 Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcia Cristina N Dourado
- 1 Center for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Factors Related to Different Objects of Awareness in Alzheimer Disease. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2017; 31:335-342. [DOI: 10.1097/wad.0000000000000210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Cosentino S, Zhu C, Bertrand E, Metcalfe J, Janicki S, Cines S. Examination of the metacognitive errors that contribute to anosognosia in Alzheimer's disease. Cortex 2016; 84:101-110. [PMID: 27750070 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2016.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2015] [Revised: 07/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Disordered awareness of memory loss (i.e., anosognosia) is a frequent and clinically relevant symptom of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The metacognitive errors which characterize anosognosia in AD, however, have not been fully articulated. The current study examined metamemory performance as a function of clinically defined awareness groups using different task conditions to examine the extent to which specific metacognitive deficits (i.e., detecting, integrating, or being explicitly aware of errors) contribute to anosognosia in AD (n = 49). In the prospective condition of the metamemory task, analyses examining the association between awareness group, confidence (i.e., FOK) ratings, and memory performance demonstrated an interaction effect F (1, 43) = 5.16, p = .028 with only the aware group (n = 22) providing higher FOK ratings for correct responses compared to incorrect responses (p < .001). The unaware group (n = 27) did not show this dissociation (p = .167), and also made higher FOK ratings for incorrect responses than the aware group (p = .048). There was no main effect of task condition on FOK [F (2, 66) = 1.51, p = .228] with all participants providing comparable FOK ratings for memory performance whether ratings were made prospectively, retrospectively, or in the context of examiner feedback. The overall pattern of performance in the unaware group, whereby individuals did not sufficiently lower confidence ratings in the context of memory errors, and did not benefit from either retrospective assessment or examiner feedback, appears most consistent with a primary anosognosia in which memory failures are not available in explicit awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Cosentino
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States; Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States; Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States.
| | - Carolyn Zhu
- Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Elodie Bertrand
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Janet Metcalfe
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sarah Janicki
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States; Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Department of Neurology, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Sarah Cines
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
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de Vos AE, Pijnenborg GHM, Aleman A, van der Meer L. Implicit and explicit self-related processing in relation to insight in patients with schizophrenia. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2016; 20:311-29. [PMID: 26017116 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2015.1040151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Self-related processing (SRP) has been associated with clinical and cognitive insight. We investigated the relationship between implicit SRP (ISRP) and explicit SRP (ESRP) and insight. We first hypothesised that impaired insight is associated with the extent to which implicit feedback is incorporated in the self-image and subsequently influences behaviour. Second, we hypothesised that impaired insight is related to the way patients handle explicit feedback and use it to guide subsequent behaviour, therefore we expected to find a positive relationship between level of insight and the explicit self-related processing task. METHODS Thirty-four schizophrenia patients and 23 healthy controls participated in the study. Patients were assessed with the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight-Expanded and the Beck Cognitive Insight Scale. ISRP was measured using a working memory two-back priming task. ESRP was measured with an adapted version of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task where patients received explicit feedback on their performance. RESULTS Cognitive insight, but not clinical insight, was positively associated with ISRP after implicit positive cues. Both clinical and cognitive insight were positively associated with the ability to adjust performance upon receiving explicit feedback, though cognitive insight was more strongly associated with overall task performance. CONCLUSIONS Priming with positive cues improved performance on a working memory task in patients with good cognitive insight, but worsened performance in patients with impaired cognitive insight. Furthermore, our findings suggest that the ability to adequately use feedback may be a specific capacity that is related to insight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annerieke E de Vos
- a Department of Psychotic Disorders , GGZ Drenthe , Assen , the Netherlands
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16
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Spalletta G, Piras F, Piras F, Sancesario G, Iorio M, Fratangeli C, Cacciari C, Caltagirone C, Orfei MD. Neuroanatomical correlates of awareness of illness in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment who will or will not convert to Alzheimer's disease. Cortex 2015; 61:183-95. [PMID: 25481475 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2014.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2014] [Revised: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Awareness of cognitive deficits may be reduced in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). This may have a detrimental effect on illness course and may be a predictor of subsequent conversion to AD. Although neuropsychological correlates have been widely investigated, no evidence of a neuroanatomical basis of the phenomenon has been reported yet. This study was aimed at investigating the neuroanatomical correlates of deficit awareness in amnestic MCI to determine whether they constitute risk factors for conversion to AD. METHOD A sample of 36 first-diagnosis amnestic MCI patients were followed for five years. At the first diagnostic visit they were administered an extensive diagnostic and clinical procedure and the Memory Insight Questionnaire (MIQ), measuring a total index and four sub-indices, to investigate awareness of deficits in dementia; they also underwent a high resolution T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) investigation. Grey matter brain volumes were analysed on a voxel-by-voxel basis using Statistical Parametric Mapping 8. Data of 10 converter patients (CONV) and those of 26 non converter patients (NOCONV) were analysed using multiple regression models. RESULTS At baseline, self-awareness of memory deficits was poorer in CONV compared to NOCONV. Furthermore, reduced awareness of cognitive deficits in CONV correlated with reduced grey matter volume of the anterior cingulate (memory deficit awareness), right pars triangularis of the inferior frontal cortex (memory deficit awareness) and cerebellar vermis (total awareness), whereas in NOCONV it correlated with reduced grey matter volume of left superior (total awareness) and middle (language deficit awareness) temporal areas. Further, at baseline self-awareness of memory deficits were poorer in CONV than in NOCONV. CONCLUSIONS Defective awareness of cognitive deficits is underpinned by different mechanisms in CONV and NOCONV amnestic MCI patients. Our data support the hypothesis that poor awareness of cognitive deficit is a predictor of subsequent conversion to AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Carlo Caltagirone
- IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy; Tor Vergata University, Rome, Italy
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Gonzalez-Gadea ML, Ibanez A, Damm J, Ramirez Romero DA, Abrevaya S, Manes F, Richly P, Roca M. Different levels of implicit emotional recognition in posterior cortical atrophy (PCA). Neurocase 2015; 21:457-64. [PMID: 24874521 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2014.919325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous single-case reports in posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) have shown preserved nonconscious visual recognition despite the absence of explicit recognition. In this study, we investigated three levels of visual recognition in both a female patient with PCA and a control group during the presentation of neutral, positive, and negative affective stimuli. Our results confirmed the profile of impaired explicit recognition and intact psychophysiological responses in the patient. In addition, she was able to implicitly recognize the valence and intensity of arousal of these stimuli. We suggest that implicit emotional awareness may mediates explicit and psychophysiological recognition in PCA.
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Mograbi DC, Morris RG. Implicit awareness in anosognosia: clinical observations, experimental evidence, and theoretical implications. Cogn Neurosci 2014; 4:181-97. [PMID: 24251606 DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2013.833899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Unawareness of deficits caused by brain damage or neurodegeneration, termed anosognosia, has been demonstrated in a number of different neurological conditions. Clinical observation suggests that unawareness paradoxically can be accompanied by signs of understanding or representation of deficit, but not explicitly expressed. Such "implicit awareness," an apparent oxymoron, is implied by or inferred from actions or statements of the person with neurological disorder. In the current paper, we review clinical observations and experimental evidence which suggest the occurrence of implicit awareness in dementia and hemiplegia, and explore the clinical and theoretical implications of this phenomenon. We present a theoretical framework to understand implicit awareness in these two conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Mograbi
- a Department of Psychology , King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry , London , UK
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Abstract
This review explores the relationships between depression, apathy, and anosognosia in Alzheimer's disease. Depressed mood is found to be associated with less anosognosia, while greater apathy is associated with more anosognosia, and the contrasting reasons for these associations are discussed. The review also describes recent research findings indicating a dissociation between impaired awareness of condition/deficit and preserved emotional reactivity in response to illness-related material or the experience of failure in tests. We conclude by pointing to future directions for this area of research and clinical implications.
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Wiffen BDR, O'Connor JA, Russo M, Falcone MA, Joseph C, Kolliakou A, Di Forti M, Murray RM, David AS. Do psychosis patients with poor insight show implicit awareness on the emotional stroop task? Psychopathology 2014; 47:93-100. [PMID: 24021460 DOI: 10.1159/000350452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2012] [Accepted: 02/09/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The insight into psychosis can be assessed reliably by clinicians from interviews with patients. However, patients may retain implicit awareness of illness while lacking explicit awareness. SAMPLING AND METHODS In a sample of first-episode psychosis patients, we used a test of processing of mental illness-related and other negative words as a measure of implicit awareness to see how this varied in relation to insight. An emotional-counting Stroop task tested reaction times to words of three types: psychosis-related (e.g. 'crazy'), general negative (e.g. 'cancer') and neutral (e.g. 'oyster'). Data were available from 43 patients and 23 healthy controls. Patients' insight was assessed using the Schedule for the Assessment of Insight (SAI-E). RESULTS Patients reacted slower than controls to words across all conditions, and both patients and controls reacted slower to salient and negative words than neutral words. There was a near significant interaction between word type and group (Wilks' lambda = 0.53, p = 0.055); patients experienced greater interference from negative rather than psychosis-related words (p = 0.003), and controls experienced greater interference from salient rather than negative words (p = 0.01). Within the patient group, there was a correlation between insight and interference on salient words (r = 0.33, p = 0.05), such that those with less insight experienced less interference on psychosis-related words. CONCLUSIONS Psychosis-related words were less threatening and less self-relevant to psychosis patients with less insight. This suggests that the lack of awareness such patients have of their illness is genuine and more likely to be mediated by lower-level information processing mechanisms than strategies such as conscious, motivated denial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin D R Wiffen
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
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Palmer EC, David AS. More work on lack of awareness and insight in healthy people and psychiatric patients will assist model building. Cogn Neurosci 2013; 4:206-7. [DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2013.854759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emma C. Palmer
- Section of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London, UK
| | - Anthony S. David
- Section of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London, UK
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Mograbi DC, Brown RG, Morris RG. Emotional reactivity to film material in Alzheimer's disease. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2013; 34:351-9. [PMID: 23222153 DOI: 10.1159/000343930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS To explore emotional reactivity in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD) using film material, investigating the influence of dementia-related material and awareness of condition. METHODS Twenty-two patients with AD and 21 healthy older adults viewed films with positive, neutral or negative content, including a film about dementia. Reactivity was measured through a self-report questionnaire and filming of facial expressions. Awareness of condition was assessed contrasting patients' versus informants' versions of an anosognosia questionnaire. RESULTS The AD patients showed reduced self-reported reactivity to negative films, but exhibited a pattern of facial responses similar to controls for all films. Awareness was associated with frequency of negative facial expressions during the dementia film. CONCLUSIONS AD patients may have impairments in self-reported reactivity to negative stimuli. Awareness may mediate responses to dementia-related material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Mograbi
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.
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Morris RG, Mograbi DC. Anosognosia, autobiographical memory and self knowledge in Alzheimer's disease. Cortex 2013; 49:1553-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2012.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2012] [Revised: 06/08/2012] [Accepted: 09/03/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Mograbi DC, Brown RG, Salas C, Morris RG. Emotional reactivity and awareness of task performance in Alzheimer's disease. Neuropsychologia 2012; 50:2075-84. [PMID: 22609573 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2012] [Revised: 04/17/2012] [Accepted: 05/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Lack of awareness about performance in tasks is a common feature of Alzheimer's disease. Nevertheless, clinical anecdotes have suggested that patients may show emotional or behavioural responses to the experience of failure despite reporting limited awareness, an aspect which has been little explored experimentally. The current study investigated emotional reactions to success or failure in tasks despite unawareness of performance in Alzheimer's disease. For this purpose, novel computerised tasks which expose participants to systematic success or failure were used in a group of Alzheimer's disease patients (n=23) and age-matched controls (n=21). Two experiments, the first with reaction time tasks and the second with memory tasks, were carried out, and in each experiment two parallel tasks were used, one in a success condition and one in a failure condition. Awareness of performance was measured comparing participant estimations of performance with actual performance. Emotional reactivity was assessed with a self-report questionnaire and rating of filmed facial expressions. In both experiments the results indicated that, relative to controls, Alzheimer's disease patients exhibited impaired awareness of performance, but comparable differential reactivity to failure relative to success tasks, both in terms of self-report and facial expressions. This suggests that affective valence of failure experience is processed despite unawareness of task performance, which might indicate implicit processing of information in neural pathways bypassing awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Mograbi
- Department of Psychology, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.
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Clare L, Whitaker CJ, Nelis SM, Martyr A, Markova IS, Roth I, Woods RT, Morris RG. Multidimensional assessment of awareness in early-stage dementia: a cluster analytic approach. Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord 2011; 31:317-27. [PMID: 21508642 DOI: 10.1159/000327356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/07/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Research on awareness in dementia has yielded variable and inconsistent associations between awareness and other factors. This study examined awareness using a multidimensional approach and applied cluster analytic techniques to identify associations between the level of awareness and other variables. METHODS Participants were 101 individuals with early-stage dementia (PwD) and their carers. Explicit awareness was assessed at 3 levels: performance monitoring in relation to memory, evaluative judgement in relation to memory, everyday activities and socio-emotional functioning, and metacognitive reflection in relation to the experience and impact of the condition. Implicit awareness was assessed with an emotional Stroop task. RESULTS Different measures of explicit awareness scores were related only to a limited extent. Cluster analysis yielded 3 groups with differing degrees of explicit awareness. These groups showed no differences in implicit awareness. Lower explicit awareness was associated with greater age, lower MMSE scores, poorer recall and naming scores, lower anxiety and greater carer stress. CONCLUSION Multidimensional assessment offers a more robust approach to classifying PwD according to level of awareness and hence to examining correlates and predictors of awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Clare
- Bangor University, UK. l.clare @ bangor.ac.uk
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